128 , HOESE-KACING IN FRANCE 



the Molecomb Stakes. It was at Newmarket Autumn 

 Meetings, liowever, that the French star cuhninatecl 

 in England. Fontenoy and Le Marechal had done 

 fairly at York (where they both ran second — in the 

 Prince of Wales's Stakes and in the North of England 

 Biennial — and the latter won the Gimcrack Stakes of 

 365/.), and then came a regular display of fireworks 

 (chiefly in honour of Monarque) at the three New- 

 market Meetings (after Gentilhomme, Valentine, and 

 Villafranca had not ' illustrated ' themselves at Don- 

 caster). First of all 'little Benjamin' and Columbine 

 did badly at tlie First October, but Baliverne won a 

 sweepstakes, Villafranca (by Monarque) ' split ' Bohemia 

 and Turcos for the Granby Stakes, Gentilhomme won 

 a sweepstakes, and Villafranca and Columbine were 

 third and fourth for a sweepstakes ; at the Second 

 October Hospodar (by Monarque) won the Clearwell 

 Stakes of 920/., Alerte was second to Lacydes for the 

 Select Stakes, Villafranca won a sweepstakes of 150/., 

 Fornarina (by Monarque) received 100/. forfeit, Gentil- 

 homme received 100/. forfeit, Fontenoy won a sweep- 

 stakes (selling) of 40/. only. Infante (by Monarque) 

 ran second to Well and for a handicap sweepstakes, 

 Armagnac (now Lord Stamford's) had been but three- 

 quarters of a length behind his only opponent, Taje, for 

 the Bedford Stakes, and Eoyallieu was tliird to Optimist 

 and Man-at-Arms for a plate ; and at the Houghton 

 Meeting Gemma ran tliird for the Cambridgeshire (for 

 which, however, Stradella was not placed), Baliverne 

 (then Mr. Fuller's) was second to Xurullo for a sweep- 

 stakes, Valentine won a Nursery stakes, Souveraine 

 (by Monarque) ran a dead heat (but was beaten in the 

 ' decider ') for a sweepstakes, and above all Hospodar 

 (by Monarque) won the Criterion Stakes of 1,1707., 



